post

WE ARE CLOSED FOR HURRICANE SEASON 2024!

WE ARE CLOSED FOR HURRICANE SEASON 2024!

which is predicted to be a bad one this year and we need a vacation after being open 365days per year since founding.

Depending how the season goes we plan to re-open November 15th or earlier. We are currently taking bookings from November 15th onwards (click on calendar months to scroll forward). If you booked with us for hurricane season before we blocked the dates we will reach out to you after our vacation to issue refund or rebook you with another captain.

Have a great summer, we will see you on the other side…

post

New T-Shirt Designs available in our online store

We have some new T-Shirts, Hoodies and long sleeves in our online shop. New front and back designs and the Fish design is now available in full color print. There are printed on demand statesside and sent directly to you.

VISIT OUR ONLINE SHOP HERE

https://www.bonfire.com/store/rockhoppin-charters/

LOCALLY PRINTED RASHGUARDS

If you are coming to St. John and looking for longsleeve rashguards, we have a few blanks in select sizes that we can print locally. Text Lucy 340-514-5527 with your sizes and she can let you know which colors are in stock.

Rockhoppin’ Shirts

Rockhoppin’ Shirts

post

BVIs are back! Day trip to Jost van Dyke

Oh, how we missed it. The beautiful beaches of White Bay, the Painkillers at legendary Soggy Dollar Bar, hell, even the customs stop for check-in. Well, almost 3 years later, the regulations that made it pretty much impossible for USVI based boats to head over have been removed and we are taking bookings again starting January 1st. We do anticipate to re-open a little earlier, mid-December.

Trip von St. John to Jost van Dyke

Our comfortable 32ft Powerboat with twin Yamaha 300s and cushioned, forward-facing seating will take you to visit beautiful White Bay on Jost van Dyke, we can stop at Sandy Cay or Sandy Spit, B-Line and then hang out at Soggy Dollar Bar, Hendo’s Hideout and all the other legendary bars in White Bay.

day-trip-stjohn-jost-van-dyke-soggy-dollar-bar

All our prices are for a private charter of maximal 6 and include captain and fuel. No waiting to re-fuel boat at crowded fuel dock at end of charter. Not included: gratuity for captain (20%) and BVI fees (approx. 80$ per person, subject to change).

If you have more than 6 people, please put that in notes field. There is an extra charge of 100$ per extra guest, we can take 10 to Jost, 8 to Norman Island/Willy T. and 6 to Virgin Gorda.

We leave from National Park Dock at 8:00.

Day Trip St. John to Soggy dollar Bar

Day Trip St. John – Jost van Dyke: 990$ incl. fuel

Day Trip St. John to Jost van Dyke White Bay

Check out availability here. Scroll to January 2023 to see openings.

to see all charter destinations go to this page:


Searching Availability…


post

USVI charter options (no passport required)

What are the USVI Boat Charter Options?

  • We can go snorkeling/sightseeing to the Cays north of St. John and other places that cannot or cannot easily be reached by car/foot/swimming.  For example: Mermaids chair, Whisling Cay, Congo, Mingo, Lovango, Xmas cove, Waterlemon, Tektike, Booby Rock and more.
  • You can swim in hike up reef bay to the waterfall and petroglyphs (easy 20min hike up from water vs. full day hike down and up from centerline if you do it by car)

As for food options there is Pizza Pi, the Pizza Boat (re-opening in November), the new restaurant on Lovango Cay (re-opening December 20th) and Lime Out (has already re-opened on October 5). Lime Out is only included in the full day trip. Pizza Pi and Lovango are included in half day or 3/4 day as well. Lovango requires reservation for lunch table and mooring which you can reserve online here. You can also pre-order food at North Shore Deli and pickup it up before your charter, they are right across from where we start the trip.

We start the trip at National Park Dock near Mongoose Junction. Usually 9:00 am for full day, 10:00 am for half or 3/4 day and 4:45 for sunset cruise but other times can be arranged.

We have a cooler and water and ice on board and you are welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks.

Everything always depends on wind and ocean, sometimes there are big north swells and the north is rough but the south is calm as a lake so a great day to snorkel the southern spots and swim in at reef bay which can be rough on other days it is the other way around, Captain Steve has been doing these charters for many years and will help you choose the best places to go for the day.

unset-cruise-powerboat-charter-stjohn

Sunset Cruise 390$ including captain and fuel

Visit Pizza Pi the pizza boat, enjoy your pizza while watching the sunset or jump in for a snorkel at Christmas Cove or bring your picnic or food from North Shore Deli or Sam and Jacks to enjoy while cruising into the sunset. The price is for the whole boat up to 6 people, including captain and fuel. We have a couple’s special for only 2 people which is 350$. Please put “couples special” into notes field when booking and price will be adjusted.

Half day USVI 690$ including captain and fuel

Best of North or South Shore incl. Pizza Pi the pizza boat and Cays north of St. John (snorkeling and sightseeing) or you can hike up Reef Bay.

half-day-trip-reef-bay-hike-waterfalls

3/4 day USVI 790$ including captain and fuel

Best of North and South Shore incl. pizza pi the pizza boat and/or Lovango and cays north of St. John (snorkeling and sightseeing)  if you want, you can also hike up Reef Bay (for waterfall and petroglyphs), it is a short swim to shore and then an easy 20min hike up (compared to the full day hike up and down from centerline)

snorkeling-whisling-cay-stjohn

Full Day USVI 890$ including captain and fuel & Limeout

All around St. John (North Shore and South Shore Spots) incl. stop at Lime Out which is on the Coral Bay side of island. This charter is not recommended on a very rough day. If you have booked this and there is a big swell / strong winds making the ocean very rough you can always change it to 3/4 day.

day-trip-to-lime-out-stjohn-usvi

 

reef-bay-hike-petroglyphs-stjohn-usvi

half-day-boat-trip-stjohn-usvi

Add (inshore) fishing option to any charter for 150$

Our most popular option is the 3/4 day as you don’t have to clear customs and pay customs fees (like when going to BVI) so you don’t really need a full day unless you want to go to lime out which is a very long way.

Pizza Pi and Lime Out

If you would like to visit Pizza Pi the Pizza Boat or Lime Out on your charter please check their website and facebook pages for latest opening days, right now Lime Out is set to have their current “last day” on 8/15 or 8/22 and re-open is 10/5 or 10/12.

Alternatively you can grab some snacks for your charter for example from North Shore Deli (across from National Park Dock) or Sam and Jacks at upper level Starfish.

Open for paddleboard deliveries

We have also paddleboard deliveries  but will not be giving lessons or renting snorkel gear for now. We thank our customers for their continued support during these difficult times and can’t wait to head back to Jost with y’all

Changes due to Covid:

  • Please sanitize your hands upon entering the boat we should have hand sanitizer on board.
    Captain Steve is fully vaccinated but we still have to adhere to local guidelines requiring masks whenever within 6feet of someone not in your household
  • We are NOT providing snorkel gear we don’t think these are times to share breathing equipment even with careful disinfection a risk remains esp. for the crew cleaning it.
  • You are however welcome to borrow fins.
  • For payment the captain can run the final charge on the card you used for deposit if you would like to use different card please pay online with the PAY NOW link in the booking invoice.

Online Booking: Book your unforgettable day in USVI waters here:

post

BVI Charter – 2024 Update

Are the BVI open for day charters?

Yes, BVI charters are open again for US Boats. They made it very difficult and expensive to obtain the necessary permits and certification but we jumped through all the hoops and are licensed to do BVI charters. The passport information now has to be submitted before the trip, Captain Steve will reach out to you for that. The customs fees for BVI charters are currently about 85$ per person

USVI Charter Options

While we continue to monitor the situation about day charters, we would love to show you a good time in the USVI on a half day, 3/4 day, full day or sunset cruise and you can also add fishing to the charter. For food stops there is Pizza Pi the Pizza Boat , Lovango Cay and Lime Out the Taco boat which has already re-opened for the season. Check out the options here.

post

Day Trip: See the best of St. John in one day private charter

Looking to spend a great day on the water with no passport hassles? Our boat has a permit for the National Park, so we can take you to the most beautiful places on St. John on our “Best of St. John in one day” day trip. This is also a great trip for people visiting St. John for the first time, you will get a great overview of what is where, the captain can show you all the hot spots from the water and give you the best tips of where to go for your following days on the island.
Read More

post

Sunset Cruise – Powerboat Charter

Sunsets on St. John are spectacular. In winter months, the skies at sunset glow with the most spectacular hues, blooming with pinks, reds and oranges. In summer months, the whole sky can be lit up in orange.

sunset-cruise-stjohn

The fabulous St. John sunsets are even more beautiful from the water. Imagine sitting on the boat, sipping a cold drink and seeing the sun drop into the water or behind the rock. If you get really lucky, you might even see the famous green flash. The green flash are optical phenomena that appear on the horizon, usually the ocean, just after the Sun rises or sets. It is a flash of green light that lasts for about a second or two. Sometimes (rarely) the green flash can resemble a green ray shooting up from the sunset (or sunrise) point. Green flashes occur because the atmosphere can cause the light from the sun to separate out into different colors.

rockhoppin-sunset-cruise

Go on a sunset cruise from Cruz Bay, St. John

Our sunset cruise typically leaves around 4:45 PM and returns to Cruz Bay after sunset (little after 7 in summer). We cruise along the North Shore beaches.
The price is 390$ for the whole boat up to 6 people (including fuel). We have a couples special which is 350$ if it is only 2 of you.
It is in USVI waters only (since customs offices closes at 5pm). We provide water and ice. You can bring your own food and drink or grab something from North Shore Deli (which is right across from where we start the trip) – call to pre-order and everything will be waiting for you. During season we can also stop at Pizza Pi the Pizza boat, always a great hit with the kids (Pizza Pi is usually open from November to end July)

Sunset Cruise Video

Ready to go?

Book your unforgettable St. John sunset cruise here

You can use the calendar below to directly make a booking (select date and hit book now). Not sure yet? Then you can also send us a Booking Enquiry with this form or email rockhoppinusvi(at)gmail.com or text 340-514-5527.


Online Booking

Select your date and pay a 150$ deposit. The rest is due on day of charter (after trip, cash, card or cheque). All prices include captain and fuel. Not included: BVI customs/mooring fees and gratuity

post

3/4 day trip St. John

we have a new trip in our line up which is the 3/4 day trip St. John which is roughly 5 hours and 690$. Different from other boats all our prices already include captain and fuel.

For food stops you can stop at Pizza Pi the Pizza Boat or the new restaurant on Lovango (please check for seasonal closures during hurricane season).

So you spend much more time actually being on the boat compared to for example Jost where you have many stops where you walk around on land. So for most people 3/4 day is enough time on the water and with lime out being closed there is not much reason to go all around the island

You can see the best spots of North Shore and snorkeling the cays North os St. John and South Shore (like reef bay) on your 3/4 day.

snorkeling-whisling-cay-stjohn

Lovango Cay restaurant (last day for 20/21 season: July 15)

check out their offering at https://www.lovangovi.com/

zozo-h20-lovango

 

Book your unforgettable 3/4 day trip here

You can use the calendar below to directly make a booking (select date and hit book now). Not sure yet? Then you can also send us a Booking Enquiry with this form or email rockhoppinusvi(at)gmail.com or text 340-514-5527.


Online Booking

Select your date and pay a 150$ deposit. The rest is due on day of charter (after trip, cash, card or cheque). All prices include captain and fuel. Not included:  gratuity

post

Covid-19 Update August 13th: All non-essential businesses closed.

In yesterday’s press conference the governor reverted the USVI back to “stay at home” phase. This is due to a spike in covid-19 cases, mostly on St. Thomas where they recorded 55 new postitives this week in only one day, for a population of 55.000

Effective immediately

  • Hotels, airbnb, guest houses cease accepting new reservations for leisure travel for 30 days

Effective Monday August 17 territory goes back to Stay at Home phase orange

  • 6 AM Monday all non essential businesses closed for at least 2 weeks. “After 2 weeks we will assess number of active cases and make decision”.
  • Churches and schools closed.
  • All beaches closed on weekends at noon
  • Restaurant take out only.
  • Max 10 people in stores or gatherings exceptions large stores on St. Thomas

Effective August 19:

  • Effective August 19 no new check-ins for leisure travel for 30 days.

Based on the governor’s order we are suspending all leisure charters immediately, and all bookings for the next 2 weeks have been fully refunded. We could potentially still do supply runs and fishing but for now we have hauled our 32FS Regulator out and have started an overhaul with sanding down the existing paint and bottom paint. We are expecting a very active hurricane season for the next few weeks anyways so the boat is safer in the boat yard. We have for now blocked all reservations until September 19 depending on how the hurricane season and covid-19 cases go this might be extended.

The BVI’s which were the main destination for our day trips are still closed so business was limited already even during the busy summer. The BVIs are schedule to re-open September 1st but this might be extended or they might open for visitors with covid-19 test but not for day charters we will see.

Many people ask about supporting local businesses on St. John

Here are some ways.

  • Leave a positive review for your last charter. You can review us on tripadvisor here and on facebook here
  • Order a Rockhoppin’ T-Shirt, Tank or hoodie here
  • Book a future charter for a random date and pay either the 150$ deposit or the full amount here. Once your future travel date is confirmed we can move the booking to the actual date. All our charters are fully refundable up to 72 hours before the booked date